5 Things You Can Do to Support Your IVF Cycle

Embarking on an IVF journey is a significant decision that often follows years of effort and consideration. While many strategies for natural conception apply, preparing for IVF involves unique steps to optimize outcomes and increase your chances of success.

1. Take Time to Prepare 

If you’ve been diligent with preconception care or your natural conception journey, you might be able to shorten your preparation time for your IVF journey. For many people embarking on an IVF journey, dedicating approximately three months to prepare for your cycle can optimise outcomes. While it may feel frustrating to wait, this preparation period is crucial for improving egg and sperm quality, as both oocytogenesis (the maturation of eggs) and spermatogenesis (the formation of sperm) take approximately three months. Since embryo quality is influenced equally by both egg and sperm, taking this time can help your results, reduce the number of cycles needed, and minimize the physical, emotional, and financial toll of IVF. During this period, focus on addressing any health issues that may impact fertility, taking appropriate nutrients to reduce DNA damage in both sperm and eggs (adjusted for IVF preparation), eating a nutrient-rich diet, eliminating alcohol, smoking, and drugs, and prioritising strategies like improving pelvic circulation. These steps can make a meaningful difference in your journey.

2. Adopt a Mediterranean Diet 

Current research shows that the Mediterranean diet can improve overall health, including fertility and IVF success for both men and women. What matters most are the guiding principles of this eating style, rather than specific recipes. Here are its key components:

• Very limited processed foods. The mediterranean diet does not involve eating pasta every day (a little disappointing, I know!), processed foods like pasta are limited to occasional foods.

• an abundance of fresh plant foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and extra virgin olive oil. These foods provide a rich array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibre. 
• Moderate Consumption of Dairy and Poultry: Dairy products such as yogurt and cheese are consumed in moderation, and poultry and eggs are included in moderate amounts. While restriction of eggs is considered part of this diet, I suggest eggs a few times a week in fertility, and sometimes more if your protein intake is on the low side and you tolerate them. Eggs contain a lot of nutrition, everything you need to produce healthy eggs.
• Regular inclusion of Fish and Seafood: Fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines, are staples of the Mediterranean diet due to their high content of omega-3 fatty acids which help fertility in a range of ways including reducing inflammation, helping with hormone balance, promoting implantation and oocyte and sperm quality. 
• Limited Red Meat: Red meat is consumed sparingly, with a focus on leaner cuts. Plant sources of protein such as beans, lentils, and tofu, and seafood options are prioritised over red meat. There are varying interpretations of what this means.  In fertility, I would encourage most women, where possible, to consume red meat once to twice per week to ensure they are getting adequate iron & some other nutrients, this can be lower for men as they have lower iron requirements. 
• There is an emphasis on healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil is the primary source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, used for cooking, dressing salads, and flavouring dishes. It is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
• Herbs and Spices: Herbs and spices are used liberally to flavour to dishes, reducing the need for processed condiments.
• Minimal Processing: Foods are typically prepared using simple cooking methods such as grilling, baking, steaming, and sautéing, preserving their nutritional integrity.
• to add a TCM spin to this I would also recommend prioritising cooked foods over raw to aid digestion and nourish the spleen.  This is a very general recommendation and may vary according to your individual constitution.

This is a recommendation that is applicable to most, but not all people. If you have intolerances, digestive issues, or are following another eating plan for any number of reasons, you will want to get more personalised guidance.

3. Manage Stress 

Stress affects many systems in the body and is widely recognised as a contributing factor to various health challenges. It can exacerbate inflammation, often worsening symptoms in those with inflammatory conditions. While its effects on fertility may be less obvious, chronic stress triggers oxidative stress, which has been linked to poorer outcomes in both natural and IVF conceptions. Elevated levels of stress hormones like cortisol can disrupt the balance of other crucial hormones, such as prolactin, oestrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones, and may also aggravate autoimmune responses by affecting antibody levels which can increase miscarriage rates.

Given that fertility challenges and the IVF process itself can be inherently stressful, managing stress effectively is a crucial aspect of optimising outcomes. Incorporating stress-reduction strategies into your routine can support both your physical and emotional well-being. Consider these approaches:

• Journaling: Reflective writing can help process emotions and clear mental clutter.
• Meditation and mindfulness: Techniques like guided meditation or mindfulness apps can promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.
• Breathwork: Deep, intentional breathing exercises (e.g., diaphragmatic or box breathing) can calm the nervous system.
• Physical activity: Moderate exercise, such as walking, yoga, or swimming, releases endorphins and reduces stress.
• Time in nature: Spending time outdoors, whether in a park, garden, or forest, can be grounding and restorative.
• Acupuncture: Regular sessions can help regulate stress hormones and promote overall balance. Acupuncture has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety, which can peak during IVF cycles
• Massage therapy: Relieves physical tension and promotes relaxation.
• Creative hobbies: Painting, knitting, playing music, or any activity that sparks joy can provide a therapeutic outlet.
• Social connections: Engage in activities with friends or support groups to share experiences and foster emotional resilience.
• Professional support: Talking with a counsellor, psychologist, or fertility coach can help process complex emotions and offer tailored coping strategies.
• Sleep hygiene: Prioritise quality sleep by maintaining a consistent bedtime, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and minimising screen time before bed.

Adopting a combination of these strategies can help create a calmer, more balanced foundation to support your IVF journey and overall well-being.

4. Pelvic Circulation

Good pelvic circulation is essential for optimal fertility. Healthy blood flow to the pelvis supports the function of the ovaries, oocytes (eggs), uterus, endometrium, and assists in healthy pregnancy.

Blood circulation plays a key role in delivering nutrients to the cells that need them. If you’re investing in high-quality supplements and nutritious food, it’s important to ensure those nutrients reach the ovaries to support egg quality. For men, improved circulation can enhance sperm quality, particularly in conditions like varicocele. Additionally, strong pelvic blood flow helps build a healthy endometrium, creating a supportive environment for implantation.

Ways to improve pelvic circulation include:

• Acupuncture: In fertility-focused treatments, improving pelvic blood flow is generally a priority. Specific points in the abdomen as well as distal points that affect the pelvis are used, as well as points for relaxation, as reduced tension allows for better flow of Qi and blood throughout the body.  Treatments may also include herbs, supplements and sometimes cupping that are also aimed at increasing blood flow.
• Castor oil packs: Applied to the lower abdomen, these packs can enhance circulation and reduce inflammation.
• Lymphatic compression boots: While these are placed on the legs, the stimulation of good lymphatic and blood flow in the legs also helps pelvic circulation. 
• Deep abdominal breathing: Helps relax muscle tension, which can otherwise restrict blood flow.
• Eating foods that support blood flow: Foods like beetroot, known for their ability to promote blood flow, have long been recommended for fertility. A small but significant study on women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) found that those who drank a juice blend of beetroot, watermelon, and ginger daily had significantly higher implantation and clinical pregnancy rates. The benefits were largely attributed to beetroot’s ability to enhance blood flow and ginger’s anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet properties.
• Keep your feet, lower back and abdomen warm.  Its no secret that warmth promotes good blood flow.  In TCM, the kidney channel begins on the sole of the foot, cold can penetrate the channel and travel up causing cold in the uterus. So we would recommend wearing socks and keeping your feet warm (always), and particularly around a transfer.

5. Reduce Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors

This is a huge and often overwhelming topic that entire books have been dedicated to. It’s a tricky one to sum up in a paragraph or two, so I have decided to write another article about this later in the week. Stay tuned!

^[1] Effect of omega-3 supplements or diets on fertility in women: A meta-analysis Trop-Steinberg, Shivtia et al. Heliyon, Volume 10, Issue 8, e29324

^[2] Falsig AL, Gleerup CS, Knudsen UB. The influence of omega-3 fatty acids on semen quality markers: a systematic PRISMA review. Andrology. 2019 Nov;7(6):794-803. doi: 10.1111/andr.12649. Epub 2019 May 22. PMID: 31116515.

[3] Halpern G, Braga DPAF, Morishima C, Setti AS, Setti AI Jr, Borges E Jr. Beetroot, watermelon and ginger juice supplementation may increase the clinical outcomes of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection cycles. JBRA Assist Reprod. 2023 Sep 12;27(3):490-495. doi: 10.5935/1518-0557.20230012. PMID: 37459441; PMCID: PMC10712821.